


Batten Down the Hatches

by ximeria



Series: 2014 Fic-A-Week (all the XMFC AUs) [22]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Humor, M/M, SHIELD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ximeria/pseuds/ximeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It would be foolish to think that Hydra's influence was limited to SHIELD - the MI6 prepares for 'war' - not that it fazes the Quartermaster at all - he can handle whatever comes his way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Batten Down the Hatches

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Batten Down the Hatches by ximeria](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2467616) by [Rachel_Er](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Er/pseuds/Rachel_Er)



> I had this moment/scene in my head one night as I was falling asleep. Now, would SHIELD truly be the only agency that was infiltrated by Hydra? Or would every other agency be looking at their agents and leaders and ...wonder?
> 
> This is a scene set on the same day as the Triskelion and SHIELD falls in Cap2-Wintersoldier/half a day later - All the information is out there thanks to Agent Romanoff and it's time to re-evaluate the agency assets. Being the MI6, stiff upper lip plays an important part ;) (not to mention tea).

Title: Batten Down the Hatches

Erik set up the last of his firewalls, making sure that the little traps he'd programmed would either alert him of any intrusion or, if need be, destroy the intruder's software.

Turning around to look at his two minions, he took a deep breath. It was all coming to a head. He'd felt Agent X for most of the day, in the back of his head, like a storm cloud of worry. And now they were on lockdown.

He knew M was on her way down and that Agent X was with her.

"I know you're all dying to know what's going on," Erik started.

"I think we know," McCoy muttered.

"It's one thing what we _think_ we know," Erik cut him off, "it's a whole other thing what we actually know."

McCoy hunched in on himself.

"M is on her way down," Erik clarified. "The only thing we know is that SHIELD has fallen. And apparently they've been harboring a nest of vipers for years."

"And the MI6?" Pryde asked.

"We don't know," Erik admitted as he flexed his metal arm, feeling the familiarity of it like a cat rubbing itself up against his gift. He wasn't a field agent, didn't really have the drive for that - he was perfectly happy as Quartermaster, ordering people around in his own little domain. "So far a few have been rooted out, but it would be stupid to think that there aren't more. Not to mention, we can't trust anyone from other agencies either."

Pryde gave him a piercing stare. She was one of the few of his minions that he actually could see as a both agent and Quartermaster. Her gift was a plus in the field, but she was crazy smart when it came to computers as well - always a plus in Erik's book.

"How can we tell the difference and is this why only Hank and I are here? Because you think you can trust us?" She stood straight, watching him with the utmost attention.

Erik smirked. "You're here because I _know_ I can trust you - and because I needed help putting up the defences on the MI6 database."

"But how can you be sure?" McCoy asked curiously.

"I did something that you might not forgive me for, but I had to do so because we were short on time," Erik admitted, feeling a little uneasy. "I had Agent X scan your minds for Hydra related triggers and he found none."

It was… pretty much illegal to do so, but he wanted to play with open cards with these two. The rest of the Q staff… he wasn't too sure about and he didn't want to submit Agent X to doing anything he truly opposed - it had been hard enough to get him to scan these two without their consent. Some days Erik wondered how far he could get Agent X to bend his loyalties and high ethics for him. Because he was fairly sure Agent X had only said yes because Erik had asked him.

Instead of looking upset, they both seemed to relax a little. Then Pryde cocked her head, a dark look on her face. "How can we be sure that Agent X isn't Hydra?"

Erik snorted. "Have you met him?" he asked drily. "Though fair's fair, you can never quite tell." He thought about telling them that he'd been dragged through both Agent X's and M's minds by the both of them, at the same time, in an attempt to prove to him than neither were Hydra. "I've come as close as I can to verifying it," he told them. "If you don't trust them, trust _me_."

Pryde shared a look with McCoy and then they both nodded.

"What do we do now?" McCoy asked, looking a little lost.

"We're still MI6," Erik said quietly. "We've just have the knowledge of a previously hidden foe come to our attention - let's use it to our advantage. M intends to set up sessions for anyone who wants to stay on - where they'll be read for triggers just as you were - but it will be voluntarily - I'm still sorry that you weren't asked." And he truly was.

Pryde nodded. "It's okay - it means you needed us and did what was necessary - we don't have all the time in the world." She smiled the little smile of hers; "And as smart as you are, boss, even you couldn't have done all this in the time we had."

Erik raised an eyebrow at her, but she seemed completely unfazed by it. Yeah, he liked her alright - and if he had to take an apprentice, she'd be at the top of his list. As would McCoy, really, if he could drag the kid out of his shell of insecurities.

The elevator pinged and the three of them turned towards the doors. Erik could tell that Agent X was in there - M as well, though there was a third set of metal…

The elevator doors opened and M strode out, her white dress impeccable as always, blonde hair perfectly framing her lovely face, which was a scowl today instead of the usual superior look of indifference.

Agent X stepped out next to her - as impeccably dressed as always - and Erik spotted the third person.

_'Alex Summers, gifted like us, demolition expert, on loan to us from SHIELD. Clean.'_

Erik didn't relax from Agent X's quick description, but if X said he was clean…

_'He was supposed to aid me in my current case, but as SHIELD has blown up….'_

"If the two of you are done," M said tightly, glaring from Erik to Agent X and back, "we have things to do."

 _'She doesn't like being left out,'_ Agent X continued in Erik's head. _'Sometimes I think it's because I've refused to share anything about the relationship you and I have.'_

 _'Which is really non existent,'_ Erik projected drily. Not for the lack of trying on agent X's part. He seemed to get a kick out of people thinking he was having a sordid affair with MI6's notoriously cranky and ill mannered Quartermaster. Truth be told, Erik didn't mind half as much as he normally snarkily complained to Agent X about.

"Gentlemen!" M broke through, looking like she'd have liked nothing more than to hit them both with something hard and painful. "Lehnsherr, I need an update on our systems - and we have the first group of agents coming in for a scan in less than ten minutes. I need a room shielded from outside influence of any kind - including telepathy. Is isolation unit H9 available?"

"I'll put a couple of chairs and a table in there," McCoy said with a determined nod. "Apart from that, it's bare, it's shielded and there's a video _and_ a brainwave feed that goes solely to the observation room next to it - I'll check the safety protocols beforehand."

"Good," M replied, looking a little less frayed.

"Pryde, fill M in on the protocols you helped me set up," Erik told her. When she gave him a wide eyed stare, he winked. "You know them as well as I do, and I want to see if I can't dig out a few things that might help us from the vault."

"I'll put on the kettle, shall I?" Agent X said with a small smirk, obviously taking in Summers' look of confusion at his words. "Can't do this without a proper cuppa."

Erik snorted and turned towards his work station. He started drawing up lists in his head of inventions in his experimental vault that might aid them.

_'I'm not going to root around people's heads without something to bolster me beforehand. Don't worry darling, I'll make you a cup of coffee as well.'_

Erik didn't bother replying, although he couldn't help enjoying the lazy roll of pleasure he always felt from his mental connection with Agent X. It was possible that by the end of the day, MI6 wouldn't look like itself anymore, but Erik found that the tension and adrenaline made him feel quite alive.


End file.
